Archive for the ‘baking’ Category

So for Christmas Day I needed the perfect desert. I wracked my brain for all my favorite treats, should I make cheesecake, pie, cobbler, or brownies? Then it dawned on me, and I heard the Nutella angels sing. I had gotten a couple jars of Nutella as gifts and so I knew that was a sign. I looked online for the perfect recipe -perfect being one that I had all the ingredients for, since it was Christmas Day and I did not want to go out. I settled upon this Nutella cake recipe made by two hot twin Italian chefs, you can’t go wrong with that. Plus this recipe had cream cheese/Nutella frosting which meant it would make Campy happy as well as he loves cream cheese frosting. This cake came out amazing. It was very fudgy and rich but it only used 1/3 cup of flour so it didn’t seem so heavy. Also it had a ground up hazelnuts in the cake so that kind of gave it a nice texture. The cream cheese frosting mixed with Nutella had a little bit of tartness which I really liked. It was such a big hit I even had a slice today for breakfast with my coffee!

Everyone knows I love anything Italian. One of my favorite desserts to order at an Italian restaurant is Tiramisu. If you have never had it, it is a delicious combination of sponge cake soaked with coffee liqueur and a creamy custard like filling, sprinkled with shaved chocolate. It has bitter notes of coffee with sweet notes of chocolate and sugar and it is the perfect marriage of flavors that tingles your tastebuds. It represents Italy in dessert form and there are many versions of it, not all of which succeed. I have always wanted to make it but I was intimidated by it. My mom makes an amazing version and I have her recipe but I decided to use Gabriele Corcos’ version. I have been enjoying lots of his recipes for their simple and authentic Italian flavor. I have a great post about his eggplant incaciata I am going to post soon. So if you are a tiramisu lover and have never attempted it at home I recommend you try his version. It is simple and with impress your guests with its sophistication.

TIPS: I found the lady fingers in the refrigerated section of my grocery store bakery, but you can also use the ones in the cookie aisle. Also I used Marsala wine as he suggested for the liqueur, which surprisingly tasted great, I assumed you had to use something like Kahlua. I used one part Marsala and one part licor 43, a new liquor i found that has over 43 different flavors blended into it, like vanilla and citrus, among other things. Don’t be afraid to mix it up and choose something you like since it is such a small amount, it won’t hurt the flavor. I think even rum would be tasty, like a rum cake.

Tiramisu

Ingredients

3 cups brewed coffee, cooled

2 (8-ounce) containers mascarpone

5 eggs, separated

14 ounces savoiardi cookies (firm ladyfingers)

4 ounces sugar, plus 2 tablespoons or more, for the coffee

2 shots rum or Italian Marsala, optional

Pinch salt

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup shaved dark chocolate, to garnish’

Directions

First brew about 3 cups of coffee and pour it in a bowl and allow to cool off, add 2 tablespoons sugar or sweeten to taste. (I used espresso and watered it down a bit to make it three cups).

Mix the egg yolks with 2 ounces sugar, and mix until you obtain a creamy light mixture. Work the mascarpone in a bowl using a wooden spoon, making sure you eliminate any lumps, then add the mascarpone to the sugar-egg mixture and continue to mix well.

In a separate bowl, mix the egg whites, pinch of salt, and the remaining 2 ounces sugar, until they reach a somewhat firm, but fluffy consistency, then add them to the mascarpone mixture. Stir in the rum, if using.

Dip the savoiardi cookies (firm ladyfingers) in the coffee, and one by one lay them flat into a 7 by 11 pyrex tray (I used 9×13), making sure you do not soak the cookies, as you want to make sure they maintain their firmness (refrigerated ones from bakery got soggy fast, so I might not use those again). Once the first layer of cookies has been laid out, spread a layer of the mascarpone cream on top, and dust with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder.

Now, again, prepare another layer of coffee-dipped cookies, cream and cocoa powder. Garnish the top of the cake with the shaved dark chocolate.

Cover the tray with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 3 hours so the flavors can marry and the tiramisu can settle.

Everyone who knows me, knows my love of Nutella Brownies. I have posted recipes before but I was not 100% satisfied with the results. The last one I posted had too much sugar and too much cocoa as well as chocolate chips – which were unnecessary. First of all, Nutella contains sugar and cocoa, so I wanted that to be the ingredient that provided those. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t discriminate when it comes to brownies and I happily eat any result, but the last batch was too rich for me.

So I tried another recipe on my quest. I think this is a valiant and noble quest for a woman of my generation. On my journey I looked for a recipe with less sugar, less or no cocoa, and mainly Nutella to satisfy the chocolate/sugar ingredient. I am thinking maybe in the future I will just experiment and make up my own. But for now, I made the following recipe for a pizza night for friends about a month ago. I was very pleased with the results, the brownies were moist and Nutella-rific, not too much sugar or chocolate tasting and the salt was an extra treat. I think that having less flour made them like a rich piece of fudge. I also liked the salt, as I did in my chocolate chip blondie recipe, it adds a nice mix f sweet and salty. So if you are a Nutella junky like me, check out this recipe for a special treat!

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides to easily lift the brownies out of the pan when cool. (If using a 9-inch pan, the bake time will be a few minutes less.) Set aside.
With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and beat on high speed for 1-2 minutes until creamed. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in 1 cup Nutella and salt. Mix until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the flour, mixing just until combined. Do not over mix.
Pour the batter into prepared baking pan. Drop teaspoonfuls of the remaining 1/4 cup Nutella on top. Using a knife, swirl the Nutella into the batter. Top with a sprinkle of sea salt.
Bake the brownies for 30-36 minutes. Keep your eye on them and test with a toothpick to determine doneness. If the toothpick comes out with only a couple moist crumbs, the brownies are done. The brownies may take a few minutes longer; all ovens vary. Mine took 28-30 minutes, I always cook brownies less because I like them a bit less done, plus I used a 9-inch pan.
Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan set on a wire rack. Once cool, lift the foil out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into squares.

I have had this blog for a while so I should comb back through my posts to see if this title is worthy. But I really don’t think I need to, as I think it was the best dessert I have ever made. It was simple to make and it combined my two favorite things, chocolate and marshmallows. My mom and I try to make each other amazing desserts on our birthdays. So yesterday I made her this wonderful treat in honor of her birthday. I started off with one word in mind – chocolate, as this is my mom’s favorite type of treat. I looked for decadent chocolate desserts, but did not come up with anything that seemed just right. So I went to my favorite website for desserts – King Arthur Flour, and I hit a home run when I typed in “chocolate desserts” and found triple treat hot chocolate cake. I know my mom likes chocolate and marshmallow just as much as me, so I knew this would hit the spot.

Triple treat hot chocolate cake was incredibly easy to make, which is rare for a decadent chocolate dessert, and it had ingredients I had in my kitchen. The bottom layer is a melted chocolate sauce – I used 60% cacao Ghirardelli chocolate chips (the only ones I like to buy), which you melt in the microwave with half and half. The middle layer seems to be a very liquid cake batter, but trust me it sets and makes the perfect fluffy cake. The top is made of big marshmallows you add on for the last few minutes, just to soften, and it is the perfect topping. If you like hot chocolate with marshmallows, this dessert embodies that in a bowl. The rich chocolate sauce, moist cake and melted marshmallows sang a happy song in my mouth and my belly. My daughter and husband said it was too rich but for me it had all the elements of a perfect dessert. I think my mom was pretty pleased too as I saw her sneak a few more spoonfuls when she went back through the kitchen. Please excuse the messy picture but I didn’t snap one before we all dug in. It says with the leftovers to nuke them a bit before enjoying, to warm up all the melty layers. So if you have liked the sweat treats I have posted before you have to try this!

Triple Treat Hot Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
BOTTOM
2/3 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup half & half or cream
MIDDLE
1 cup King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup Double-Dutch Dark Cocoa or other Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons espresso powder (I used instant coffee powder)
2 1/4 cups water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
TOP
24 full-size marshmallows (I might not have counted these, lol)Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9″ round or 8″ square pan (I used a 9.5 inch pie dish). Make sure whichever you use is full-sized — at least 2″ deep.
To make the bottom: Combine the chocolate chips and half & half or cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the chips are soft and the cream is very hot.
Remove from the microwave, and stir until you’ve made a smooth, dark sauce; just keep stirring, you’ll get there. If any unmelted chips remain, reheat briefly.
Spread the sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan.
To make the middle: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa, sugar, and espresso powder. If the mixture is lumpy, sift it.
Stir in the water, vanilla, and melted butter.
Gently stir until everything is just combined.
Pour the batter over the sauce in the pan.
Bake the cake for 40 minutes, until the top appears set and the bottom is bubbling (and making the top jiggle).
Remove the cake from the oven, arrange the marshmallows evenly over the surface, and return to the oven for 3 minutes, just to soften the marshmallows.
Remove from the oven, wait 2 minutes, and serve immediately.
This cake is best enjoyed within 30 minutes of baking. For any leftovers, reheat briefly in the microwave.

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love brownies. If I go to a frozen yogurt sundae bar, a brownie is my first choice in my cup. I have written before about how much I love boxed brownies. For someone who bakes most things from scratch that may be odd. But I grew up on brownies from scratch so a box mix at a party was my favorite treat. Though I do love my mom’s brownies, the texture and stickiness of box brownies is my favorite. I have an awesome college friend who shares my love of brownies, my brownie husband recipe is one of her favorites.

I googled homemade brownies that taste like a box mix and found an amazing recipe. I would say I have made it a dozen times since I found it last year. It is perfect for any occasion and people can’t believe they are from scratch. I recently made them and used the Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa instead of regular cocoa and it made them even more decadent. So if you are a closet Betty Crocker box brownie junkie like me, you need to try these! They are super easy and only have a few ingredients instead of ones you can’t pronounce, which is something I always look for when recreating stuff at home.

Quick and Easy Brownies {Like a Box Mix!}

Yield: 12-16 brownies

Ingredients

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup + 2 1/2 tbsp cocoa

1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×9 square baking pan, or line it with parchment paper.

2. Mix together the oil, sugar and vanilla extract.

3. Add eggs and mix until well combined.

4. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.

5. Slowly add to the egg mixture until well combined.

6. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly.

7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.

First off I would like to apologize to my readers, we bought a home, moved to a new town, I started a new job and my husband deployed in the last few months so I have been so busy I have not had time to post. That does not mean of course that I did not have time to bake. I always have time to bake. I even baked just this morning, it is part of my weekly routine. Lately I have made lots of favorites from my blog, wacky cake, sour cream coffee cake, black moons, blueberry buckle, and more. Those are staples that are always crowd pleasers. I have also been enjoying a new brownie recipe I found that tastes like box mix, that is going to be my next post, along with my Kentucky Butter Cake I have been making a lot. I am getting back on track for regular posting, I promise! Since I love coffee cake in any language I was excited to recently try a new recipe. I subscribed to King Arthur Flour’s email newsletters and often yummy recipes catch my eye. I highly recommend you sign up if you are a baker.

This recipe for Norwegian Sour Cream Cake looked right up my alley. I made it for a church potluck and have to say it was a big hit. At first people were going for a dry brick like corn bread concoction till the word got out about my tasty cake. If you love pound cakes and bundt cakes you have to try this easy recipe. It was a light, moist cake with just the right sweetness and a great vanilla flavor. I had made a berry compote I use often for my cheesecakes from Martha Stewart to top it but I left it at home by mistake. I definitely think that would be a perfect topping, or even just sliced strawberries and cream. The texture of the cake would be perfect for strawberry shortcake and delicious for tea time. You can travel to Norway right in your own kitchen with this tasty new recipe!

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a full-size (10″) tube pan, bundt-style pan, or angel food pan.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until well combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition.
Stir in the salt, baking powder, and vanilla.
Add the flour alternately with the sour cream, starting with the flour. Add the flour about 1 cup at a time, the sour cream 1/2 cup at a time. Mix at medium speed between additions, until ingredients are thoroughly combined. The finished batter will be quite stiff.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, leveling it with your wet fingers or a spatula.
Bake the cake for 60 to 75 minutes, until a cake tester, bamboo skewer, or long toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven, and gently loosen its edges.
After 15 minutes, carefully turn the cake out of the pan onto a rack to cool.
Store the cooled cake, well wrapped, at room temperature for several days. For longer storage, wrap securely and freeze.
Yield: 1 cake, about 20 servings.

Sugar cookies are always a delicious treat. From just plain ones dipped in milk, to ones dipped in chocolate, to ones frosted with all sorts of decorations, it is a very versatile cookie. As a kid I remember making my mom’s sugar cookies that were thick and buttery. The best part was the butter dipped glass pressed in a mixture of sugar and nutmeg, that you used to smash down the cookie before baking. My mom is a phenomenal baker, her pantry is always stocked with the best quality ingredients. Even if she is on a tight budget you won’t see anything but Ghirardelli chips in her chocolate chip cookies, she would never skimp on her cooking ingredients.

As the years went by she switched to a new favorite sugar cookie recipe, her brown butter sugar cookies. Anytime she made it for me we ate up the cookies in record time. But I never tried making them myself until recently. These brown butter sugar cookies are delectable. They are sweet and savory and the brown sugar adds a whole other level of flavor, with rich molasses and maple notes. I made them for a recent visit from our best friends to our new ranch, we recently relocated and that is why I have not posted in a bit. So if you are a sugar cookie fan and you want to try something new, you need to check these out!

Heat 10 tablespoons of butter in a 10 inch skillet (if you use a dark non-stick skillet it will be hard to see when the butter browns) over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, swirling pan constantly until butter is a dark golden brown color and has a nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. This is an easy way to make the brown butter you see in many recipes. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir in remaining 4 tablespoons of butter into hot butter to melt; set aside for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large, 12×18, baking sheets with parchment paper. In a shallow baking dish or pie plate, mix granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, rubbing between finders, until well combined, then set aside. Whisk flour, baking soda and baking powder together in a medium bowl; set aside.

Add remaining 1 3/4 Cups brown sugar and salt to the bowl with the cooled butter; mix until no sugar lumps remain, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg, yolk, and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl. Add flour mixture and mix just until combined, about 1 minute. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

Divide dough into 24 portions, each about 2 Tablespoons, rolling between hands into balls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Working in batches, toss balls in reserved sugar mixture to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart, 12 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be uses but it will take 3 batches).

Bake ONE sheet at a time until cookies are browned still puffy and the edges have begun o set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone; see photo), 12-14 minutes (depends on oven, I did mine 10), rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Do not overtake.

Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes, use wide metal spatula to transfer cookie to wire rack to cool to room temperature. Then pour a big glass of milk and enjoy!

I have tried many coffee cake recipes and have yet to find one I did not like. But my most favorite type of coffee cake is a crumb cake. There are a few regular recipes I use but my mom always makes the NY crumb cake version and had given me the recipe. I did not try it until recently and I am glad I did. It was super easy to make and it was the best coffeecake I have made in a while. I should have know it was good because my mom gave it a 6 star rating. It tasted exactly like an Entenmann’s crumb cake, minus the ingredients you can’t pronounce. So if you need something sweet to start your holiday breakfast off right, try this easy treat and you won’t disappoint!

New York Crumb Cake

Makes 1 9×13 inch cake

Cake Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons of canola oil, plus more to brush the pan

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour, plus more for pan

1/2 cup of granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 large egg

1/2 cup of milk

2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract

Topping:

1 cup of light brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

1 cup (2 sticks) of unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

+confectioners sugar for dusting after baking, a must!

1. Place rack in center of oven and heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly brush a 9×13 inch pan with canola oil, dust with flour, tap out excess. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a second bowl, whisk together egg, milk, canola oil, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture. I think the canola oil is what makes the texture of this cake so soft and light like the store version, all of my coffee cake recipes usually call for butter. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan, it will be pretty thin and look like this:

In a medium bowl combine topping ingredients: flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pour melted butter over flour mixture and toss with rubber spatula until large crumbs form like this:

Sprinkle crumbs over batter so it looks like this, the white stuff is flour, not confectionary sugar (save that for after baking), I just had some flour in the bottom of my bowl.

Transfer pan to oven, and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate pan and continue baking until cake tester comes out clean, about 10 more minutes. Transfer pan to wire baking rack to cool. Dust cake with confectioners sugar using a metal strainer for a pretty effect. Cut into three inch squares and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Enjoy!!!

I recently had a potluck at work and decided to look for a festive recipe to share. I love making cheesecake and it is always a crowd pleaser. I had seen some fun holiday recipe ideas on real simple and decided to go for these Santa Cheesecake bites (click through the pics to see these). It was easy to make and they came out very cute. If I made them again I would probably cut the squares bigger and follow the steps for the whipped cream piping, as I didn’t have much time so I used a can of whipped cream (gasp!). The cheesecake was surprisingly light due to the addition of the white chocolate I think. I don’t even like white chocolate but these turned out great. Everyone was very happy with the results. Check out the link for some other cute holiday desserts, I think we will make the pretzel Santa hats for Santa this year.

Santa Hat Cheesecake Bites – from realsimple.com

Yield: 25

Ingredients

18 Oreos finely crushed to about 1 3/4 cups*

2 1/2 Tbsp butter, melted and divided

2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups white chocolate chips

1/2 cup + 1/3 cup heavy cream, divided

25 fairly small, fresh strawberries (or more if cutting more squares)

2 Tbsp powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with two large sheets of tinfoil (one going horizontally and one over the top of the other vertically. Make sure your sheets are long enough that you’ll have an overhang of foil over the edges of the pan. Also, be sure to mold it well to the pan). Brush foil with 1/2 tbsp melted butter. In a mixing bowl, using a fork blend together crushed Oreos and 2 Tbsp melted butter until mixture is well combined and evenly moistened. Press mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared baking dish (the bottom of a flat measuring cup or glass works well for pressing crust), set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on medium-low speed, blend together cream cheese and granulated sugar until mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Add in eggs and vanilla extract and mix until well blended. In a separate microwave safe bowl, heat white chocolate chips with 1/3 cup heavy cream on 50% power in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval until melted and smooth. Pour melted white chocolate mixture into cream cheese mixture and blend on low speed until combined. Tap bowl against counter top about 30 times to release some of the air bubbles then pour mixture over prepared crust in baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes then turn oven off and without opening oven door allow cheesecake to rest in warm oven for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 3 hours or refrigerate for 6 hours.

Once cheesecake is fully chilled and set, remove from freezer or refrigerator and lift cheesecake out of pan using the foil overhang. Cut cheesecake into squares (I’d recommend cutting them just a bit larger the the width of your strawberries. Also it’s nice to keep some clean paper towels close by to clean your knife while cutting squares).

In a mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on high speed, whip remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form, then add powdered sugar and mix until stiff peaks form.

To assemble: cut a flat top off of each strawberry and lay flat side down over top of cheesecake. Fill a pastry bag (or Ziploc bag and cut a small tip of corner) with sweetened whipped cream and pipe around strawberry then finish with a small amount over the top of the “hat”. Serve immediately (for do ahead- you can make cheesecake the day before then assemble within an hour of serving the following day). Store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

*Don’t use Doublestuff Oreos. I processed the Oreos in a food processor but if you don’t have one you can place them in a large Ziploc bag, seal bag and finely crush with a rolling pin .

Every year I make the same amazing turkey recipe given to me by my bestie. I wanted to share it with you and also repost the link to the cobbler I am making, a fan favorite in my family. This turkey has amazing flavor with the combination of fresh herbs, fruit and also the Herbs de Provence. Make sure you use authentic Herbs de Provence, with lavender, as the imitation version does not have the lavender and that makes the dish.

Turkey with Herbs De Provence & Citrus

Ingredients

1 (14 to 15-pound) turkey, neck and giblets reserved

1 orange, cut into wedges

1 head of garlic cut in half

1 granny smith apple, cut into wedges

1 lemon, cut into wedges

1 onion, cut into wedges

6 fresh rosemary sprigs

6 fresh sage sprigs

6 fresh oregano sprigs

7 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons herbes de Provence

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth (approximate amount)

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

To make the turkey: Position the rack in the lowest third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

Rinse the turkey and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the turkey on a rack set inside a large roasting pan. Place the orange and lemon wedges, onion, and 2 sprigs of each fresh herb in the main turkey cavity. Tie the legs together to hold the shape of the turkey. Stir 2 tablespoons of butter, the herbes de Provence, oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of each the salt and pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat just until the butter melts. Rub the butter mixture all over the turkey and between the turkey breast meat and skin. Place the turkey neck and giblets in roasting pan. (Recipe can be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before roasting.)

Cover the turkey breast with foil. Roast for 20 minutes. Pour 3 cups of broth into the pan and stir to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining sprigs of fresh herbs to the pan. Roast the turkey for 40 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Remove the foil from the turkey; pour 1 more cup of broth into the pan. Continue roasting the turkey until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F to 175 degrees F or until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a skewer, basting occasionally with pan juices, about 1 hour and 30 minutes longer. Transfer the turkey to a platter and tent with foil. Let stand 30 minutes while preparing the gravy.

To make the gravy: Strain the turkey pan juices from the roasting pan through a sieve and into a 4-cup glass measuring cup; discard the solids. Spoon off the fat from atop the pan juices. Add enough chicken broth, about 1 to 2 cups, to the pan juices to measure 4 cups total. Melt the remaining butter in a heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the broth. Simmer until the gravy thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the turkey with the gravy.